A wet and cool bank holiday Monday dawned as the biggest game in both side’s seasons brought Enfield Town and Chatham Town to the Bauvill Stadium, for the Isthmian League Premier Division play-off final. The prize was a place in the National League South for the 2024-2025 season.

Regular readers will know I need to declare bias on this report as I have been a regular at Chatham Town since 2020. Kevin Hake, as Chairman and manager, has led Chatham to consecutive promotions since Scott Lindsey left for league management success with Swindon and Crawley Town. Hake led Chatham out of the Southern Counties East Football League in 2022 and then took the Isthmian League South-East Division title in 2023. To have kept the core of the squad (Reece Butler, Jordi Robbins, Jack Evans and Danny Kedwell) throughout the three promotion bids, yet having been able to integrate talents such as those of Jamie Yila, Kareem Isiaka and Dean Beckwith, seamlessly into the squad, has been quite an achievement. To have finished second in the league at the first attempt was impressive too and Hake would have come into today’s game with victory clearly within his plans.

Chatham Town came through a tense play off semi-final in front of a sell out crowd of 3000 at the Bauvill on Wednesday evening, beating Horsham 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes of play. Goals today were most likely to come from top scorers Jamie Yila (22 goals), Kareem Isiaka (18 goals) Ashley Nzala (14 goals) and Jack Evans (13 goals).

Enfield Town have also had a really impressive season, finishing in third place overall in the Isthmian League Premier Division before disposing of Wingate & Finchley FC’s dreams in the play off semi-final, 1-0, played in mid week. Enfield Town were aiming today to make the National League South for the first time.

Enfield Town manager Gavin McPherson has relied this season upon his two prolific strikers Marcus Wylie (33 goals) and Sam Youngs (27 goals) with occasional support from Reece Beckles-Richards (9 goals).

The game started in what can only be described as a cagey style, often evident in crucial knock out games. Neither team looked like scoring and on the balance Chatham had the best chance of the first half, when Harvey Bradbury saw a chance saved when he was through on goal and perhaps should have done better.

At half time the game was still there to be won by anyone, with the scores tied at 0-0. The crowd settled restlessly into the break, but with so much at stake, the tension inside the ground was palpable.

After the break Chatham started well, looking to use Yila to exert pressure down the right hand flank. Then the game turned, when in the 48th minute Enfield Town were ahead with Oliver Knight breaking the deadlock with a low left footed drive stretching beyond the reach of Beeney in the Chatham Town goal.

The heart seemed to sink out of the Chatham Town side at this point and they lost their way in both midfield and defence. Enfield Town were buoyant and quick to exploit the weakness, going two up on 70 minutes when Marcus Wylie scored goal number 34 of the season, following up to finish after Beeney spilled a shot by Oliver Knight.

Chatham Town threw everything into attack for the final 20 minutes, with Yila, Dickson and Isiaka all creating chances. However, despite the will and noise, of the hugely partisan home crowd, there was to be no magic ending. In fact in the 90th minute Enfield rubbed salt into the Chatham Town wounds when Lewis Taaffe made it 0-3 on the day and sent Enfield Town safely up to the National League South.

At full time the whistle blew and the away fan contingent ran into the pitch to celebrate amidst a cloud of blue smoke. Enfield Town earned this victory and should make a real go of their opportunities in the National League South next season.

For Chatham Town this was a disappointing end to the season, however they will take comfort from the fact they were within one game of promotion and that with Hake at the helm they will surely come again in 2025 to be contenders.